Håkon Skogstad
24 Variations for Piano

Håkon Skogstad - 24 variations for piano
Release: June 5th 2025

On June 5, award-winning Norwegian pianist and composer Håkon Skogstad will present 24 Variations for Piano - a large-scale solo work that reflects his artistic identity across traditions and genres. Skogstad holds degrees from the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, as well as a PhD in Artistic Research. He has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe and the Americas and has composed commissioned works for leading Norwegian ensembles. His critically acclaimed “tango trilogy” established a personal style inspired by Astor Piazzolla’s nuevo tango and earned multiple awards, including the Norwegian Grammy for Visions of Tango (Best Classical Album 2021).

24 Variations for Piano unfolds from a concise, minimalist arietta. From this open starting point, the listener is led through 24 contrasting variations, each exploring and transforming small motivic elements from the theme - sometimes clearly stated, at other times subtly embedded within rhythm and harmony. The work reflects both Skogstad’s immersion in classical pianism - shaped through research into historical performance practice - and his broader musical background. Stylistically, the music moves across a wide landscape, with references to composers such as Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninov, alongside influences from tango traditions. As a cyclical work, it resonates with forms such as the Goldberg Variations and Pictures at an Exhibition, while maintaining a distinctly personal voice. The variations are ordered according to musical dramaturgy rather than a fixed tonal system, creating a sequence of contrasting “musical images. ” Each movement may thus stand alone, yet together they form a cohesive journey through all major and minor keys, culminating in a return to the opening material - where A minor has become A major

Musicians:
Håkon Skogstad - piano

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PRODUCTION // OF 253

Produced by Rannveig Ryeng
Recorded by Jo Ranheim, at Øra Studio
Mixed by Jo Ranheim in Øra Studio
Mastered by Karl Klaseie in Øra Mastering
Photos and coverdesign by Marit Solemsli